Automatic bag filling and weighing machine.



E. L. BUSCHMAN. AUTOMATIC BAG FILLING-AND WBIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 9, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

@Wi/humaan A E. L. BUSCHMAN. AUTOMATIC BAG FILLING AND WEIGHING MACHINE.

l APPLICATION FILED DBC. e, 190e. 984,537. Patented Feb.21, 1911. if 2/ l f 6 2 SHEIITS-SHIIT 2.

EDWARD L. BUSCHMAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC BAG FILLING AND IEIGrI-IDWGr` MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

'Application med Dammv s, i908. 'serial No. 466,645.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. BUSCH- .u.\N. a citizen of the United States, residing the following is euch a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompauying drawings, forming part of this specification. i y

My invention i'elates to a machine for automatically filling bags and weighing the material placed in the bags so that as soon as a predetermined final weight of material is reached, the supply of material to the bag is automatically cut off..

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a machine of this class in which the predetermined final weight which is to be deposited in each bag may be very closely approximated in each-instance so that practicallyl a uniform Weight of material may finally be deposited in each bag without the usual variation which is found in machines of this class, which heretofore have been in operation, and also to provide asimple and efficient form of bag holder for maintaining each bag open at its mouth during the filling process, and also means for positioning the bag directly beneath the holder and keeping it in such position during the-filling operation.

lith these. and other objects in view, my invention consists in the various novel and peculiar 'combinations and arrangements of the several different parts of the apliaratus,

all as hereinafter fully set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

I' have illustrated a type of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved machine for filling bags and weighing the material so filled in the same, the operative parts being shown in the op eration of fillingthe bag. Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view of the machine shown iu Fig. 1, the plane of the section being indicated on line i12-:0, Fig. 1, and with the bag removed. Fig. 3 is a front view of' a n'iacliiue showing three of the bag filling and weighing devices, the upper part of the feeding -mechanism being shown in vertical section. Fig. et is a detached view with the upper part of one of the movable stops for keeping the feed valve normally open. Fig. 5 is a detached view 0f the'bag filler, shown in contracted position. Fig. G is a top plan View of the bag filler, shown in extended position, the same as indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detached view Iof a modified form of the operating mechanism of the cut-off valve. i

-Referring to the drawings in which like numbers of reference 4designatellike parts throughout, 1 indicates the framework in which the machine is mounted', 2 is the feed hopper which supplies the material 3 to the trough-shaped compartment 4 having perforations 5 in the bottpni thereof and iii which compartment operates a` spiral conveyer and which serves to move the material in the compartment so as to feed it uniformly through the. perforations 5 in the bottom thereof and from which it passes into a similar compartment 7 likewise having a spiral conveyer 8 therein which in turn feeds the material through the perforatioiis 9 in the bottom of said compart ment 7. The shaft of the spiral conveyors are geared together; by sprocket wheels 10 andv 11, respectively, and a chain 12 passing around said sprockets. y The shaft of the lower conveyer 7 has a pulley'13 around.

Awhich passes a driving belt 14 which is ac- I tuated by a. suitable motor 15. The material 3 passing through the openings 9 iii the botv tom compartment 7 is received by the up per expanded end 16 of the feed chute 17 through which the material is passed on its Way to the bag 18 which is placed some little distance beneath it.

The scales and cut-ofil valves as well as thel bag-holder and positioning device there.- for, are alike in each instance, so that a description fo-r one will serve for all of these devices. The balance or scale lever comprises a horizontally arranged trame 19 hav-A ing a knife edge Q0 which rests on the bedpiece 21. The rear end of the scale-lever 19 is provided with a sliding'counterweight 22 r`which is provided with a feed screw which is mounted oii the lever and has its threaded end passing through a threaded socket 24 in the countcrweight Q9.. By means of the screw 23 the weight 22 may he slid inwardly or outwardly on the lever relatively to the fulcrnm 20 so as to set the scale to weigh a `predetermined amount when the same is placed upon the outer end of the lever 19. The inner end of the scale-lever 19 carries an upright. .trame 25 in which is mounted a vertically sliding sto) 26 (see Figs. 1 and, 5), the ends of whicli slide on the frame and which is providedwith a pair of guide rods 27, 28, which depend from the upper end of the frame,.pass through perforations in the sliding stop 26 and are provided at their lower ends with fixed abutnients 29, 30, respectively, for limiting the lower limit of movement of the slide 26. Springs 31, 32, are placed around the guide f rods 27, 28, respectively, and bear with the othe` ends against the frame 25 and with their lower ends against the sliding stop 26 so as to normally keep the same depressed to its lowest limit of movement. A rock-shaft 33 mounted in bearings 34 secured to a fixed cross piece 35. carries an upwardly projecting finger 36, Aand the rock-shaft is provided with a counterweight 37 which tends to .swing the finger backwardly and throw it against the cross-piece 35, but this movement is restrainedby means of the stop 26 which engages the back of the finger 36, as shownin Figs. 1 and 6, the normal position of these parts. The finger 36 is connected by means of a horizontal link 38 with a sliding gate or valve 39 mounted across the feed-chute 17, the outer end of the valveor gate 39 being provided with a handle 40 for drawing the valve outwardly and setting it in open position. The valve 39 is provided with a large opening 41 which normally is set inthe passage ot the chute 17 and a smaller opening 42, which after the valve is shifted from its normal position is broughtwithin the passagewayof the chute 17, in place of the larger opening 41. It will now be seen that as the supporting frame 25 which controls the stop 26 of the valve 39, is located at the extreme rear end of the lever scale 19, it has a greater range of vertical movement than if lcoated nearer the fulcruiii point 2O of the lever. As soon as the scale is tipped out of horizontal position, the rear end moving upwardly but a slight way will carry the stop 26 upwardly away from the engaging finger 36 and permit the counter-weight 37 of the rock-shaft 33 to swing the finger 36 inwardly (toward the left in Fig. 1), and thereby start to close the valve 39 and in` so doing to move the large opening 41 out of the chute 17 and present the smaller opening 42 to the passageway of the chute. This checks the flow ot material to the bag. just before the final predetermined weight. is reached and for a purpose hereinafter referred to. 'llie feed chuteI 17 is also provided with a cut-off valve. 43 having a single opening 44 which is normally in the path of the passageway of the chute and this valve is also provided with a handle 45 located to the outside of the chute for drawing the valve outwardly in open position and resetting itate-r it is closed and when the feeding is again to take place. rlhe valve 43 is placed above the valve 39 and is not operated until after the operation of the valve 39. This valve 43 is connected by means of a link 46 with a similar locking and releasing device as described in connection with the valve 39, such parts being marked with the reference numerals 25 to 37, which correspond with the numerals 25 to 37 ot' the mechanism already described. ln this construction, however, the cross piece 35 being forward of the locking finger 36, the latter is made to rest against a fixed part 47 when the stop 26l is carried upwardly so as to release the finger. As the. stop carrying structure 25 is located very much nearer the fulcrum point 2() of the scale than the stop carrier' 25, the former (25) has a shorter range of vertical movement than the latter and its stop 26 is adjusted relatively to the finger 36', so that the latterY cannot.

be released until shortly after the release ot the stop finger 36 of the retarding valve 39, in order that some little time may elapse between tlie operation of the two valves. Vhen the movement of the scale is suflicient to cause the stop 26 to move above its finger 36', the cut-off valve 43 is then thrown iiito operation and the opening 44 being drawn entirely out of the chute 17, the latter is thereby completely closed against the supplv of further material to the bag. i

The scale being set to weigh say the filial amount of iiinety-five pounds in the bag 18, placed at the forward end of the scale lever 19, the counterweight 22 is adjusted so that the scale 19 will tip at say about 90 pounds andas its rear end rises it will pick up the auxiliary eounterweight 4t), which consists in a small box containing sand 50 or other suitable material which can be added to or subtracted from and which is suspended by means of cords 51 from a support 52. As this auxiliary counterweiglit 49 is picked up by the scale (it being directly added to the counterweight 22), the movement of the scale is suddenly checked but by this time the scale has tipped sulliciently to elevate the stop 26 above the finger 36 and thereby permit the latter to be thrown backwardly and to operate the retarding valve 39 .so as to move the large opening 41 thereof ont of thechute and bring the smaller opening 42 into the chute. Under this condition. the supply of the material 3 continues but it is then passed through a much smaller openingl 42, and this reduced stream ot material thus being supplied is kept. up until live pounds more of material is added to that in the bag to make up the filial predetermined weight of ninety-five pounds. As soon as this final weight is reached, it overllZll lil() comes the added'weight of the auxiliary counterweivht 4,9 .and causes the scale leverA handles 4Q and 45, respectively, thereof and drawing them outwardlyg/in which move-l ment the fingers 36 and 36, which then lie to the rear of the stops 26 and Q6", respectively, will snap under the stops by virtue of their yielding upwardly, theend of each finger beingsloped in order to permit of its being snapped under its stop.

In Fig. 7, I have shown a modification of the mechanism for closing the cut-offvalve and in which the weight 37" for throwing the rock-shaft 33 is omitted and' there lis substituted a spring 54 which surrounds the rod 46 of Vthe valve and bears with one end against the' fixed part and with the other end against a stationaryv piece 56011 the valve-rod,` so that when the finger 36 is releasedpby the stop Q6, the spring 54 will act to force the valve-rod 4.6 inwardly and close the valve.

The important advantage of reducing the size of the stream of material being supplied to the valve, just before .the finalweight is rcached,.is seen from the fact that a much less quantity. of the material is in the air between the valve and the bag, than if the full size stream of material was flowing at the time the cut-ofi is effected. By thus restricting the flow of material and finally shutting it off, I am enabled 'to minimize the overweight or underweight of material, which is an important feature iu machines of this class.

At the frontend ofthe scale'lever 19 is arranged a support 57, for the bag-holder which comprises two curved pieces 5S, 59,

the former being made fast. at to the support 57, while the latter is pivoted at 61 to the fixed member 5S. These two. curved members are arranged horizontally with the concave portions toward each other so as to form a suitably shaped holder. as indicated in the plan view in Fig. 6, and theyl are of considerable depth so as to provide a tubular structure for fitting in the mouth of the bag, as indicated in Fig. 1. The abutting ends 'of the bag-holder members 59 and '59 are made oblique as indicated at 6; and 63, respectively, and are countersunk at 64 and 65, respeetivelv. so as to fit. over each other and form a fiush. joint.. as indicatml in the drawings. The members 58 and 59 have their pivotal points 61 near Ibo upper edge thereof so that when the yswinging member 59 is swung outwardl his action at once' Eachl of the valves may be reset by grasping the* and upwardly from the osition shown in .,Fig. 4 into that shown in liiigs. 1 and 6, the` members are expanded relatively to each other and when the member 59, is swung downwardly the parts are contracted.` Ih this way by inserting thel contracted members in the mouth of the bag 18 Iand then expanding the members, the bag will be distended at its mouth and held siltliciently taut so as to keep it straightened out and in place during the filling process, as indicated in Figs'.'1 and 3v. .A lli-shaped operating lethe fixed bag-holder member 58 at the points' 67 and 68, respectively, so' that the lever extends around in front ofthe bag-'holder in a convenient position to be operated by hand at a desired time. Links 69'and 70 are pivoted between therespective sides of the movable bag-holder' member 59. and the hand operating lever 66 so as to form a toggle joint therewith,` as indicatedin Figs. 1, i'and 6l By forcing th'e'lever 66 downwardly, the toggle on each side of the holder is made to expand the bag-holder. and to maintain it in such expanded position. When it is desired to release the bagfrom ythe holder, the lever 66 is moved upwardly thereby raising the toggle-'joint and permitting the holder to collapse.

The tubular flexible connection 71 is arranged between the lower end of thefeedchute 17 and the upper end of the ba g-holder in order to prevent. the escape of any of the material and also to keep the dust of the maferial within the machine. This connection 71 is made fiexible and expansible, somewhat like an accordion, in order to permit the free movement of the bagholder which moves in response to the movement of t-he scale. y The outer end of the scale-frame or lever 19 is provided with a grating or platform 72 on which the bottom ofthe bag 18 rests while being filled. Upon the upper side of the scale beam is fixed a curved guard or part 73 which extends up almost to the bag-holder and against which-the side of the bag bears while being filled. At the outerend of the scale 19 and opposite to the fixed part 73 is a similar part 74 which is pivoted to the scale beam at` and is provided with a counterweight 6 which tends to keep the part 74 substantially in vertical ,position` as indicated in Fig. 1. This hinged uard 74 may be tipped outwardly so as to permit the bag 18 to be placed in position on the end ofthe scale and against the guard 73, after which it is tipped up into vertical position, shown in Fig. 1, and the bag is then centered or positioned vdirectly beneath the bag-holdcr and the supply-chute .17. i ln order to retain the movable guard 74in I closed position againstl the side of the bag,

ver 66 is pivoted by lits .respective ends to A position when it is once brought into such i lit() I provide a locking device comprising a lug 77 fixed on the guard and a latch 7 8 pivoted at 79 to the fixed guard 73. This latch 78 is connected by a pull cord 80 with the bagholder operating lever 66, in such a manner that when the bag-holder lever (5G is raised to release the bag, the pull cord S0 draws up the latch 78 and releases the pivote'd guard 74, which may then be tipped out- Wardly preparatory to removing the filled bag 18.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and' desire by Letters Patent is:

l. In an automatic bag filling and weighing machine, the combinationwith a weighing scale adapted to receive and support the bag to be filled, means for supplying material 'to the bag, a sliding valve-or gate provided with openings of different sizes and through which the material passes when being supplied to the bag and being normally set so thatthe material passes through the larger opening, means tending to normally move the slide so that the material being supplied to the bag will pass through the smaller opening, and means for locking the said slide in its normal position, said locking means being operatively connected with and automatically actuated by the movement of said scale at a predetermined time depending upon the weight of material in the bag shortly before the final weight is reached, a second sliding valve or gate provided withan opening equal to that of the large opening of the first mentioned valve and through which the material passes before reaching said first mentioned valve, means for locking the second valve in open position and said means being operatively connected with and actuated by the movement of said scale when the final weight of material has been deposited in the bag.

2. In an automatic bag filling and weighing n`iacl1inc.'the combination with a .tilting or lever scale adapted to receive and support the bag to be filled and adjusted to tilt when a predetermined weight of material is placed in the bag, 'means for supplying material to the bag` a valve for cutting off the supply of material` a pivoted finger connected with said Vvalve and means tending to normally force the finger around on its pivot to close the valve, a movable stop engaging said finger and holding the valveopen` a support for said movable stop connected with the leverscale and moved thereby when a predetermined weight of material is reached so as to release said finger and operate the cut-- ofi' device.

3. In an automatic bag filling and weighing machine. the combination with a tiltingr or lever scale* adapted to receive and sun port the bag to be tilled and adjusted to tilt when a predetermilwd weight' of material is placed inthe bag, means for supplying material to the bag, a valve for cutting ofiI the supply of' material, a pivoted finger connected with said valve and means tending to normally force the finger around on its pivot to yclose the valve, a movable stop yieldingly mounted andengaging said finger and hold- -ing the valve open, a support for said movable stop connected with the lever scale and moved thereby when a predetermined weight of material is reached so as to release said finger and operate the cut-ofi device, the said pivoted finger being adapted to snap by the said yielding stop in resetting the machine for another weighing operation.

4. In an automatic bag filling and weighing machine, the combination with a`tilting or lever scale adapted-to receive and support the bag to be filled and adjusted to tilt when a predetermined but not the final weight of' material supplied. to the bag has been reached, means for supplying the material to the bag, a` set'y of valves for controlling the` supply of material to the bag and one ot said valves-acting to partially reduceor restrict the flow of material when the valve is moved lout of normal position and the other valve acting to completely cut off the fiow of ma'- terial when moved out of normal position, each of said valves being provided with means tending to move them vout of normal position and each of the said means having a device for locking the valves against movement, the said locking means being o eratively connected with the said scale ever and actuated thereby to first release the valve which retards or restricts the fiow of material and then the valve which finally shuts off the material, and an auxiliary counterweight normally disconnectedfrom the scale lever and adapted to be picked up thereby when the scale lever first tilts but before the final weight of material in the bag is reached and todelay the release of the valve for finally cutting off the supply of material after the valve for partially cutting itoff has been actuated, the said auxiliary,counterweight comprising a vessel adaptedY to receive granular materiahthe quantity of which may be regulated as desired.

5. In an automatic bag filling and weighing machine. the combination with a tilting or lever scale adapted to receive and support the ba to be filled and adjusted to tilt whena pre etermined weight of material is placed in the bag, means for supplyingr material to the4 bag. a set of 'valves for controlling the supply of material to the bag and one of said valves acting to partially re- Slt) llt)

duce the fiow of material and the other valve acting to completely cut off the flow of material` means for locking each of said valves in open position and such means comprising a pivoted finger tending to move on its pivot to close the valve, a movable stop 'engaging `said finger 4and holding the valve open, a

supdport for said movable stop mounted upon {nyhapd in the presenceof the two subscrib- 's111 .ilting 1ever, chet tvosaifldslupporttsnr lng 'wv1tnesse`s. tes'os em moune onsa1 everaoferent Iista'neges from the fulcrum point of` 'Lf BUSC-HMAN' 5 the 1ever,whereby the said valves areoper- Witnesses; ated insuccesson.` I 'WILLIS FOWLER, In testimonywher f,I have hereunto set. f f RonERTv'F. HENRY. 

